Christmas Special
by LadyPalma
Summary: Basically my ideal S6 Richobel Christmas Special. Isobel/Violet and Richard/Violet friendships will have a big part as well.
1. Chapter 1

_**Christmas Special**_

 **Part 1**

"Isobel, I am so glad you came here today"

Lord Merton's fond words and kind smile was the warm welcome Isobel received when she stepped into his huge sitting room. Despite her inward irritation for the situation, she couldn't help but smile in return at him; it was clear that he was sincere in his affection and that was undeniably a pleasant contrast with his soon to be daughter in law's flattery.

"Of course, we both are" Amelia echoed him immediately, with another melliflous smile, while asking the footman to bring them some tea.

Isobel ignored her though and just sat on the couch near the man. "Well, did you have any doubt about my presence?" she asked then, still with the smile on the lips.

Actually, she herself had had doubts. When she received the invitation for tea only a couple of days before, her first instict had been to sigh deeply and look for an excuse to refuse. She didn't like at all the prospect of being at the centre of another vain attempt of persuasion, there was nothing that opportunist woman could have done anymore. But that feeling lasted just a moment though; considering the good relationship that still linked her to her former fiancè and, especially, the curiosity of seeing which other plans would have come out, she was left with no other choice but accept.

However, when some minutes later the footman returned carrying _four_ cups instead of three, she started to regret her choice. Suddenly, Dickie's good mood and Amelia's exaggerated confidence achieved a new meaning, a meaning that her new words only confirmed.

"You don't know yet, Mrs Crawley, but there is a surprise for you!" the young woman exclaimed in fact. "Someone was so desparate to see you!"

Isobel turned to her, looking very surprised indeed - not in a plesant way though. "Really?" she just asked, not helping the evident trace of irony in her voice.

Amelia nodded enthusiastically and was about to reply, when the mysterious fourth person appeared at the door with his usual annoyed – and _annoying_ – expression. As Isobel had sadly predicted, that certain someone was Larry Grey indeed; what was still a surprise though, was the fact that he was actually there in flesh and bone.

"Mrs Crawley" he greeted her with a cold nod in her direction, "it seems it is finally time for us for have a talk" he added then, while entering slowly the room but not making any hint to sit down.

Blunt and straight to the point: Isobel had expected that too. After all, he didn't need to convince anyone, but actually, according to the triumphant smile his fiancèewas wearing, he was the one that had been convinced. His discomfort was clear for everyone to see, as he was preparing himself to make what must have looked to him as an act of humiliation.

"Oh, finally, indeed! What are we supposed to talk about?" she asked, pretending unawareness.

"Look, Mrs Crawley, I admit that I may have been a little unfair toward you in the past…"

" _May_? _A bit_?"

It was impossible to not to notice the way his jaw clenched and she was sure that it had occured him a great effort not to roll his eyes, but still he managed to keep his calm and tried to rephrase. How much that was due to his own control or actually because of Amelia's eloquent glare at him, it was hard to tell.

"Well, the point is that my father is old enough to take his own decision."

At that, Isobel slightly chuckled a bit and moved her eyes to look at a somewhat hurt Dickie. "Oh, thank Lord he is!"

"What I am trying to say is that I won't interfere in anyway in his decision to marry you" Larry replied quickly, though, as the hardest thing could be now easily said out of frustration. "If that is what makes my father happy, then I will try to be fine with it"

A long look was exchanged between the two. Those words were the biggest offer he could make and she knew that, but yet she wanted to press the matter a little bit further. His eyes seemed to beg for mercy, but that was a mercy she wasn't willing to give – at least not yet.

"Is this an apology?" she insisted instead, with a nonchalant smile.

The room fell in a tensed silence for some seconds, during which all eyes were fixed on the young Grey: Lord Merton's hopeful ones, Amelia's glaring ones and Isobel's somewhat amused ones. After all, everyone knew that everything was at stake in that precise moment – and everything stood for two weddings and a father/son relationsip.

"Yes, it is" Larry decided to concede eventually, in an abrupt way and with a deep sigh.

The other people sighed too in relief and three satisfied smiles appeared at the same times; the young man wasn't able to see that though, since he looked away as fast as he could and then simply excused himself. No one tried to stop him, afraid that any longer contact would have destroyed that victory they had all achieved.

"I hope you are happy about this. This is what we wanted, right?" Dickie spoke softly at Isobel, not hiding his own satisfaction.

He dared to reach for her hand and she allowed him to. She didn't know if that and all its implication was exactly what she wanted, but that was a question she would have asked herself later. In that exact moment she just wanted to enjoy her little victory.

"Oh, Dickie, I must admit that I am _delighted_!"

* * *

Another tea invitation, another conversation that had to be done - except that this time, she was the host and there was a quite more comfortable atmosphere.

"…And so, he finally apologized!" Isobel exclaimed with a proud smirk, at the end of the brief and yet accurate account of her meeting with the Greys.

Sitting in front of her, Violet slightly widened her eyes in surprise, but soon her face mirrored that expression, just like Isobel had expected. Actually, she didn't have anything against Lord Merton, but she had never liked his sons and, considering her lively conversation with Amelia Cruikshank, she felt that the apologize from Larry was somehow her own victory as well.

"Well, that is definetly good news" she said, nodding with convinction, and right then her look became teasing. "I guess our dear Larry Grey hasn't seen the last of it, though. I can see his and his fiancèe's face whenyou'll meet them again as the lady of the place… Maybe that could happen even before Christmas!"

Isobel didn't reply straight away and looked for a moment confused instead. It was the first time she was being so explicitly told about the likely plans for her own future, but the real surprise was actually that that suggestion was coming from Violet.

"You know, Violet, I would have never imagined you to be the one to push me toward Dickie in the end" she pointed out with an incredulous little chuckle, delaying once again to avoid the main topic.

"Do not mistaken me, Isobel!" the older woman replied quickly, glaring at her as if she had just been _accused_ of being middle class. "I still think that you and Doctor Clarkson would be a better match, but this is irrelevant now…" She paused for a short while as her face uncharacteristically softened and, unexpectedly, she reached for her cousin's hand and squeezed it for a moment. "What really matters to me is that you are happy."

Isobel froze and blinked a few times, taken completely aback by the gesture. She wasn't used to such a displeasure of affection by the so ever proper and strict Violet and it wasn't just that: looking at the matriarch of the Crawley's family,in that particular moment, she appeared suddenly tired, fragile and _really old_.

"Oh Violet… Thank you…" she managed to say eventually.

Recovering from the first shock, Mrs Crawley was about to add something more, when suddenly Lady Grantham took back her own hand and looked away, focusing on the cups placed on the table in front of them. All the sings of weakness disappeared, as she returned in the blink of an eye her usual self.

"Now it's time to drink this tea, dear. It's becoming colder than Miss Amelia's heart!"

* * *

 **Hey again:) I am supposed to be very busy with life right now, but yet it was easy for me to find the time to start this new long-fiction lol**

 **As you have already guessed from the title already, my aim is to show you my ideal Christmas Special - only focusing on the Richobel (and Violet, as you'll soon see) related parts. Everything that happened in the previous episodes is considered, as are considered the spoilers we have heard during the season (such as the weddings, the funeral, some pics maybe...), but what I completely disgarded is the actual trailer. Every chapter contains one or more scenes I'd like to see and so, basically, this is Richobel Christmas Special written by me - have no fear after reading this first chapter: it is a Richobel story indeed. I really hope you like the idea as I do and reviews are always appreciated (maybe this time a bit more than always lol)**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Christmas Special**_

 **Part 2**

A week was passed and Christmas was becoming closer, but despite Lady Grantham's predictions, there wasn't any upcoming marriage for Isobel yet. Truth be told, Lord Merton had tried to arrange a meeting more than once, but she had always come up with some excuses. She hadn't decided anything, she had just kept avoiding to think about it at all. Larry's apologize had been welcomed with satisfaction indeed, but now that the last obstacle standing between her and Dickie was removed, a part of her was regretting that victory; she had spent more than a year shielding herself behind her noble intent to stay out of a relationship between a father and his sons, but now she was starting to think that maybe that was just an excuse – just like the casual ones she was using now. Maybe she had never been ready to marry him in the past, as she wasn't clearly ready now.

Lingering in her difensive strategy, Isobel just kept avoiding the Greys for a little longer and making herself busy. However, unluckily for her, little did she know that she wasn't the one to hold the strings of the story. So, when surprisingly her path crossed with Merton and Miss Amelia's one in front of the hospital, she was basically left with no other choice but stop running – phisically and on a mental level too.

"Dickie, Miss Cruikshank, what are you doing here? Nothing bad happened, I hope"

"Oh no, we are here to see you, actually, since it is the place I was sure to find you" the man replied with a somewhat embarassed smile. "I needed to talk with you and Amelia was so kind to come with me."

Isobel just moved her eyes from the two of them, a bit taken aback. At the thought that they had been looking for her, she couldn't help but feel even more trapped; as far as her mind still refused to aknowledge the whole big question, she knew very well that the topic he wanted to discuss in that exact moment and in that exact place was right about that big question indeed.

"Well, do tell me then" she finally said with an inward deep sigh.

"We weren't able to see each other again after the last meeting at my house and I didn't have the chance to ask you what you think about Larry's change of mind…"

"I believe it's rather obvious what I think about it" she replied quickly, with diplomacy, "I accept his apologize and I am very glad that he doesn't see me as an enemy anymore. I would have really hated to come between you and your sons…"

"Of course, of course, Isobel" he nodded with convinction, even if clearly that wasn't the point he wanted to reach. He paused for a moment, giving a glance at his left and looking back at her only after he received a sort of encouraging nod from his future daughter in law. "But what do you think about _us_ now? I mean… I mean…"

"Lord Merton wants to know when you two can settle the date for your wedding!" Amelia cut him off abruptly, with her usual irritating melliflous smile.

While he had the decency to slightly widen his eyes at that unexpected bluntness, Mrs Crawley totally escaped that part and instead turned to Amelia with a very unfriendly glare.

"I am sorry for your plans, but this isn't going to happen" she said more sharply than she wanted, probably pouring on the young woman all the frustrations she had had to inwardly deal with for too long.

Needless to say that Miss Cruikshank stared at her as if she had grown a third head. "But Larry did apologize! You said that if Larry approved you, you would marry Lord Merton!"

"Actually, I never said that!" she exclaimed back with the same sudden vehemency. Soon she realized though how her words must have affected the present man too and so, as she moved her eyes back to him, her face instantly softened, showing regret. "Dickie, I am terribly sorry. I haven't been fair to you – nor to myself. Your sons' disapproval was not the only reason I have decided to break off our engagement and I am sadly realizing it only now… I don't love you, not like I should…"

In spite of the pain and undeniable disappointment he was feeling for the meaning of her confession, Dickie didn't seem angry at her at all. Actually, as a last attempt not to let her go, he gently took her hands in his. "But I do love you, Isobel. Even if you do not love me, this can be enough, maybe in time you will…"

He trailed off, maybe because he realized himself too the irony of what he was saying. Time? Considering their age, time was the only thing they didn't have and the only time truly left was _carpe diem_.

"This could work, I know" she answered, not helping but feel tears in her own eyes now. As far as she never loved him, she cared for him very much and hated to see him hurt because of her. He was indeed the perfect man to marry if only… "The point is that I am already in love with someone else" she admitted and it was actually an admission to herself as well.

Amelia gasped in pure shock, but Lord Merton had a much more elegant reaction, giving her just a sad but yet understanding smile. He didn't ask who that someone else was, he didn't want to know – or maybe, he _already_ knew.

"I see. Then I am forced to let you go, Isobel. I can't blame you, though, because honestly you never claimed to love me... At least I hope we can still remain friends."

"Of course we can" she assured immediately, squeezing a bit his hands which were still clasped with hers.

Then, silently, he brought his hands to his mouth and placed a soft kiss on them – a kiss that was the prelude of a goodbye. "Goodbye, Isobel" he said in fact with words too, ready to take his leave.

"Goodbye Dickie" she whispered back.

As her former fiancè walked away along with a still very shocked daughter in law, Isobel just remained still in front of the hospital, watching their figures until they totally disappeared from her view. However, when she finally looked away and turned again to the main door of the building, she found another surprise waiting for her. Feeling probably more embarassed in that moment than during the whole previous conversation, she almost jumped in place.

"Doctor Clarkson…" she just said, asking herself for how long he had been standing out there and actually how much he had heard.

That was hard to tell though, because he looked unexplanaibly annoyed and even crossed.

"Mrs Crawley… I have to go, I have a patient waiting for me"

A curt nod and a quick look was all she got from him, along with those simple words. Then, he entered again inside and she was left alone with her multiplying thoughts, which she couldn't pretend to escape anymore.

* * *

"Excuse me for the late, Lady Grantham" Doctor Clarkson said, entering his office and closing the door behind.

It was hard to say though, if the gravity his face was showing was for the situation with Isobel he left behind, or actually for the even more difficult one he was about to face now. He sighed heavily – maybe for both the reasons – and went to occupy the seat behind his desk. Once he was at the eye level of his rather exceptional patient, he was met by a pair of well-known piercing green eyes; apparently that woman was more ready to approach the conversation than he was.

"Don't worry, there is nothing that a few minutes more could do for me anyway" she replied in fact ironically, with a just hinted bitterness in the voice. "So, speaking of time, how much time exactly do I have left?" she asked then with an unbelievable calmness. When he refused to answer right away, she shook her head and her stare became reproachful. "Oh, Doctor Clarkson, as far as I recall you never were fond of lies, so please don't start right now!"

He looked away for a moment as to escape that look, but he soon looked up again and, when he did, he found himself being sincere and blunt as his job – and also his personality - required. "It is a very aggressive cancer, I am afraid. You have a month, maybe two… Since you refuse any treatment." As he spoke the last part, roles were inverted and suddenly he was the scolding one.

But Violet seemed untouched and just offered him a somewhat sad smile. "Which treatment, Doctor? I am 83 and I had a long and full life. I think it is time for me to go anyway…"

"But you could move into a more specialized hospital or…"

"I am staying here, Doctor" she cut him off, with convinction. "I hardly believe that any hospital could perform magic in any case"

Richard remained silent once again; there was nothing he could say anyway, he could only nod in defeat but also admiration. She was loyal to that hospital, to that town, to her home and her principles until the very end.

"You will soon need a nurse to take care of you" he continued after a short while, offering a weak compromise.

Violet did not oppose at that, not totally at least. "I know. Anyone but Mrs Crawley of course…"

Richard sighed deeply and not even tried to hide it. Wheter or not tell to the Crawley family was the main topic of discussion, as the doctor believed that she would have needed support in such a delicate situation or at least there could have been done an exception for Isobel, given the close relationships between the two women. Of course he wouldn't have said a word, but still he disagreed.

"If I may speak freely, Lady Grantham, I think you should tell her instead. Mrs Crawley cares a lot about you and I am sure she will be glad to help you through all of this."

But that new attempt had the same effect of the many previous ones, which was none. "I don't want her to pity me" the woman answered stubbornly, shaking her head.

"Really? Is this the only reason?" he asked, frowning in confusion.

And he had every reason to be incredulous since she didn't believe her own excuse as well. She remained silent, holding an unreadable face for a while, until she suddenly made a weak smile. "You see, dear Doctor, maybe I care a lot for her as well" she finally admitted. "Isobel has suffered enough in her life and she doesn't deserve it. It is bad enough to think that she will be alone when I am gone and…"

"I will take care of her" he spoke softly, almost authomatically.

Usually, Violet hated to be interrupted like that and he had never actually dared to do that before, but yet those words were a surprising very welcome exception. They looked at each other for some seconds and it was like a promise was made in that look, or maybe it was more like a pass of the boton.

Finally, she nodded and her tiny smile grew. "I know you will"

* * *

 **I am a terrible person, I know, but actually I wouldn't mind if it was Violet the one to die. She is probably my favorite character and certainly one of the main pillars of the show, that is why I think that only an important death luke hers would feel like a real closure to Downton Abbey. As for the first scene, it was my ideal wish for the still unknown scene that was filmed in front of the hospital. I decided to close this way Dickie's role in this story, and in the next chapter I will finally focus more on the relationship between Isobel and Richard.**

 **Thank you all for the reviews to the first chapter. I hope that you are still interested in following this story, now that I have made the direction a bit more clear.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**Christmas Special**_

 **Part 3**

Filling the hospital of decors wasn't officially among the tasks of the chairman of Downton Cottage Hospital, however for Isobel it was becoming now as a sort of mission. Since her first Christmas in Downton, and especially during the years of the war, she had always tried to bring the holidays atmosphere at the working place, but this year everything seemed amplified: everything was too big, too colorful and too much.

Basically, she was trying to fill the outside with life because she was feeling dead inside.

That terrible ache of emptiness that she had felt after losing her only son was coming back, and honestly she didn't know if this time she was going to be fine – or actually, if she wanted to in the first place. Alone: that's how she was, and lonely how she felt. Mary had remarried, Tom had finally found a new place in life and the children were growing up: everyone around her seemed to move on but her. But yet, she couldn't ignore the tiny voice in her head telling her that it was too early for her to live only in memories.

"Mrs Crawley!"

Another unexpected voice, coming from the outside this time, had the power to call her abruptly back to reality. She was taken so much by surprise that a red ribbon fell from her hands; however, she had at least the readiness not to lose her balance on the chair she was standing upon.

"Doctor Clarkson" she greeted back then, trying to sound as cheerful as she could.

She was nervous, surely more nervous than she had ever been around her dear friend, and that was clear to see. They didn't have the chance to talk after the coversation she had had with Dickie and so, she still didn't know if he knew what had happened or, more precisely, why he had seemed unusually fleeting in those three last days. A part of her was expecting him to subtly tease her about it or just about the decorations like he had always done the previous Christmases, but a glance at him was enough to understand that he wasn't in the mood for joking, nor actually talking at all.

Instead, he slowly bent down to collect the ribbon from the floor and then silently extended one hand to her, offering his help to climb down. Even if there was still some work for her to do, she accepted it without protest and, once she was with both feet on the ground, he surprisingly held her hand a bit longer. As she looked up, a long look was exchanged between the two, a look that could mean a lot of things but which ended before it could be deciphered.

"Who is he?" he asked, abruptly, with the slight irritation evident in his voice.

Isobel frowned in confusion and that confusion was the main reason why she suddenly retracted her hand, ending the pleasant contact. "Excuse me?"

"This new man you are in love with" he replied, bluntly and quickly. "I overheard the conversation you had with Lord Merton some days ago, so who is the man you claim to love? Another noble or this time maybe the King himself?"

As she had predicted, the teasing part had come, but yet now she was finding out that she couldn't bear his cutting irony nor his piercing stare. She blinked at first and then, realizing that probably she was flushing, she forced herself to look away. It was unusual for her to have such a reaction, as it was unusual for him to speak his mind so easily; for a moment she asked herself if he was drunk, but actually he wasn't showing any possible sign of that.

"Why exactly should he be a nobleman?"

He merely shrugged at that question. "Well, considering your last engagement, it would be-"

"Considering my last _marriage_ , it would be more natural for my choice to be a common doctor, don't you think?"

Maybe she was the one to be drunk, after all. The words had escaped her lips with a total unexpected easiness and now she just couldn't take them back. Richard was staring at her with widened eyes, suddenly returning the discreet man he was, and it was hard for her to held his gaze. But she had to and so she did, swallowing hard while getting ready to speak further.

"You see, Richard…" she started, rarely calling him by the name despite the many years of friendship. "I wouldn't have been happy with Dickie, because that is not the kind of life I want and he is not the man I want by my side for the rest of my life. We – _you and I_ –, we often disagree but we also work so good together and maybe this is what I want. I would gladly accept your offer of companionship and affection, if it is still valid of course…"

A mix of feelings hit him at the same instant: love, incredulity, happiness. He had never expected her to bring up what happened years before in Thirsk again, and certainly not in that way. Had Isobel really just implied that she loved him? Had she really said that she was finally willing to marry him? He wanted to express his happiness and renew his proposal, but the only thing that he did after recovering from the shock was to let out a somewhat bitter chuckle. Because there was something in that brief speech of hers that he didn't like at all, something that he felt the urge to rectify.

"My _offer_ , as you called it, was not just about companionship or affection… It was about love" he clarified in fact, letting the apparent amusement fade into a serious expression. "I love you Isobel and I have loved you since… Ever, probably. How can you possibly not know that?"

If Richard's chuckle was unexpected before, Isobel's reaction now sounded even more unbelievable. In fact, hearing those passionate words, she covered her mouth with one hand as a sudden sob escaped her lips. Her breath became frantic and she looked close to tears; oddly as it seemed, she felt like crying more now than in her previous desperation. The doctor, confused and worried about that behavior, gave her some seconds of space, but when they passed, he moved closer to her and his hands went authomatically on her upper arms.

"Isobel, what's wrong? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, of course not, you lovely man" she reassured him immediately, looking up again. Then she paused and blinked a few times, trying to regain control of herself. "It's just that all this time I have been so blind and fool, when I had what I wanted right in front of me… Richard, I love you too, I do"

"Does this mean that you are accepting my _offer_?" he asked, hinting a small smirk, even though his nervousness was betrayed by his hopeful voice.

She hesitated only a moment before nodding twice with convinction and throwing her arms at him. No one was passing in the hallway in that moment, but they wouldn't have cared anyway: as he held her closer, she just closed her eyes and enjoyed the perfect warmth of that embrace. Fo the first time in a long time, she was feeling safe, peaceful and no more empty; his arms were the place she wanted and needed to be, the place where she belonged.

* * *

 **I hope this didn't sound too rushed. I actually could see something like that happening and I had to mention Thirsk because that needed to be solved. I allowed Richard and Isobel to have finally their moment of happiness, even if my "ideal episode" still doesn't end here, as there are other situations (the celebration of the new year, the weddings...) to see and I'm not forgetting about Violet's illness!**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Christmas Special**_

 **Part 4**

"Oh, how could I be so forgetful!" the butler exclaimed to himself, looking thoughtfully at the placeholders for the dinner upstairs.

In spite of the usual loud chaos in the kitchen, amplified by the fact that it was New Year's Eve, it wasn't difficult for Elsie to catch that worried remark and to be in a matter of seconds at his side. She was willing to be helpful of course, but also curious to see what was causing him to lose his control – especially now, after the whole matter about her not perfect cooking skills.

"Mr Carson, what's wrong?" she asked, trying to cover the slight amusement in the voice.

He continued to muse about his problem for a few more second, then sighed heavily and looked up at her. "I have forgotten to add Lord Merton and the rest of his family… How can I place now four people?" he explained, shaking his head disapprovingly at his own unusual negligence. "I guess I'll have to redifine all the places now…"

This is not a tragedy, we still have time – that was what the housekeeper was about to say in order to assure him; however, before she actually could, a third person entered the conversation, giving surely a more significant help.

"No need to worry over this, Mr Carson. Lord Merton is not upstairs and will not arrive" Thomas casually informed in fact, heading to the stairs carrying a tray.

Charles did not thank the younger man, but nodded in a pleasant way. "Good, the problem is solved then!"

"You still have to add one more place though. For Doctor Clarkson." It was Andy the one to speak now, while heading to the stairs too.

"Doctor Clarkson?"

"Yes, Mrs Hughes. Apparently, he is Mrs Crawley's guest for tonight"

After that last piece of information coming from upstairs, the waiter finally left them, climbing quickly the stairs., trying to catch up with Thomas. While Charles turned again his attention back to the placeholders with a new sense of relief, Elsie was the one to look thoughtful now, even if it was in a pleasant way.

"What's wrong with you, this time?" the butler inquired, once he finished his quick job and looked up once again.

"I was merely thinking" she replied, shrugging slightly. She hesitated only for a moment though, before letting a clearly amused smile appear on her lips. "Mr Carson, do you think that Mrs Crawley and Doctor Clarkson are finally getting together?"

Carson raised an eyebrow. "Well, I don't think it is our place to express an opinion" he reproached her, or at least trying to. But then, in front of the unconvinced look of his wife, he shook his head and gave in, as a little smirk appeared on his face as well. "But if it were our place, _Mrs Carson_ , I would say that maybe they are…"

* * *

After the unexpected turn of events right before Christmas, Isobel had to admit that she did love the holidays after all and New Year's Eve was no exception. Considering the premises, 1926 was going to be a wonderful year for her and, according to the cheerful atmosphere at the Abbey, she wasn't the only one to be lucky. Everyone seemed to be healing from their own sorrows, everyone was moving on and, while catching the complicit look of her new fiancè, Isobel was glad to be finally able to say that she was looking at the future too.

She was happy for herself and she was genuinely happy to see the people that had slowly become her family be happy too. Mary was trying to build a life with Henry, Rose was back for a short visit with Atticus and a child on the way, Tom had apparently a new love interest and there were valid rumors that Edith was about to get married too… The only thing that spoiled a bit that perfect situation was Violet's strange behavior that couldn't help but get her worried.

"Are you sure you are alright?"

Sitting on the armchair next to hers, Violet snorted. "It's the second time that you ask and we haven't even started dinner! I was fine ten minutes ago and I am fine now…" she replied, with her usual irony but also a more marked hint of annoyance. "It is your nurse vocation speaking, Isobel, maybe you should work at the hospital again, along with your future husband…" she added then, teasing, while moving her eyes from her cousin to the doctor standing behind her. Even if, when addressed to the man, her look for a moment gained a new whole meaning.

But Richard just smiled politely and, when Isobel wasn't watching, threw back an eloquent glare to the older woman. However, someone else proved to be more helpful than him, as two familiar figures approached them, interrupting the potentially dangerous conversation. Saved in corner, Lady Grantham received the quick kiss from her older niece and then just watched with relief as she started to speak with Isobel, managing that way to distract her.

"We were all expecting you to be the next to get engaged, you know" Mary was saying with a teasing smile, not hesitating at all to inquire about her current curiosity.

Mrs Crawley surprisingly smiled back and nodded. "But I am, indeed"

The younger woman blinked, clearly taken by surprise. "Well, then why didn't you bring your fiancè with you? I thought that Lord Mert-" As she was speaking, her eyes fell on Doctor Clarkson and when she noticed his amused smile, she suddenly widened her eyes in realization. "Oh, Heavens… I didn't see that coming!"

"Actually, I can't say I am surprised!" Tom spoke up, grinning at the couple.

"You suspected it?" Mary inquired, raising an eyebrow, while Richard and Isobel exchanged a confused glance.

The young man nodded with convinction. "I thought that you two would be a good match since the years of the war… And Sybil thought the same."

His voice broke a little at the mention of his beloved wife, but the smile was still on his lips, even if it became a bit melancholic. He remembered suddenly when during a casual talk in the way from the Abbey to the hospital, they had talked about the matter and he couldn't help but get lost for a moment in the memories of the first falling in love with Sybil. She had always been a good observer and now he was happy to see that, after all those years, she was unknowingly winning the sort of playful bet they had made on that far day. Besides, he was happy even more because he could see himself how the doctor and Isobel were perfect for each other indeed and he admired them both – the woman he felt more alike to in the family, and the man who had tried his best to save Sybil's life.

Everyone stayed silent for some seconds, remembering in their own way the dead sweet girl, but when the two women locked their eyes, it was unavoidably another lost person to be silently recalled. As Tom moved more toward Richard to express his congratulations, the now Mrs Talbot took Isobel's hands in hers own.

"If you are happy, I am happy for you, Isobel. And so would be Matthew…"

Isobel's eyes were immediately filled with tears, but as she squeezed back her daughter in law's hands, she managed to hint a grateful smile. "Thank you, dear"

Mary, who was touched as well, blinked a few times and then let out a soft smile, trying to regain control of herself. "So, are you going to announce your new engament to everyone tonight or are you going to pretend that Doctor Clarkson is here just as a guest until the next year?"

The other woman chuckled slightly but shook her head though, as she turned it a bit in the direction of another happy couple, standing in one corner of the big room. "It's Edith's moment tonight" she simply said then, nodding approvingly as the other Crawley girl and Bertie Pelham were looking lovingly at each ohter.

Mary looked at them too and, after a short pause, smiled sincerely and approvingly, as rarely happened when it came to her younger sister. "Yes, she deserves her moment of full happiness" she agreed surprisingly. And even more surprisingly, there was no trace of irony in her words.

* * *

 **I tried to picture my idea of the perfect New Year's Eve and also to write the reaction of some characters to Richobel. Yes, in my world everyone ships them - including poor darling Sybil -, while Mary ships EdithxHappiness, because it's another thing that I would totally love to finally see! Enjoy this other moment of happiness, because drama is coming in the next chapter. By the way, there are just two parts left and I will surely post them before the CS:) A feedback is always very appreciated.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**Christmas Special**_

 **Part 5**

The shared prediction about Edith and Bertie proved to be correct and that same night between 1925 and 1926, they announced their official engagement. It delayed a little isobel and Richard's announcement and then wedding day, but yet they did not seem to care too much; after all, they have waited too many years to be counted to be together and, therefore, days were irrelevant – at least now that they had finally found each other.

On a surprisingly sunny day in late January, Edith became Edith Pelham and marchioness of Hexam, while Doctor Clarkson and the still Mrs Crawley sat together as engaged couple. The ceremony was beautiful and lovely and somehow it seemed even more so to Isobel, partially lost in the anticipation of her own. As she watched the bride make her way to the altar, she couldn't help but imagine herself in that same position and she imagined Richard waiting for her too; of course, their own wedding would have been much more simple and they did not have youth on their side, but she was completely sure that the atmosphere of love would have been the same. That was the thought that, while the spouses were exchanging their vows, led her to look up at her fiancè and just stare at him for a while. Richard kept his look ahead of him, but the little smirk taht appeared on his lips made clear that he had noticed that particular attention.

"Isobel, are you having second thoughts?" he asked at some point, in a whisper full of amusement.

He did look at his side then, just in time to catch her beautiful wide smile.

"Never" she whispered back with convinction.

She looked away, but slipped her hand into his and he didn't hesitate to squeeze it. That way, hand in hand and heart to heart, they waited in an emotional silence for the end of the function. In those moments, she was feeling her heart bursting of love just like when she was twenty, like she had never expected to be able to feel again; those were the moments when it appeared even more clear to her that he was the perfect choice and that she didn't want anyone and anything else.

No unexpected runaways this time, no unpleasant inconveniences: everything went perfectly, actually too perfectly. People started to leave the Church, the newly married entered a car, but in the general delightment no one realized that it was the calm before the storm. There were no dark clouds, no scaring thunders, it arrived suddenly out of the blue, as Violet fainted in the arms of his son. Cora cried for help and Richard's hand slipped from Isobel's one as they both started to run automatically toward the countess.

"What should we do, Doctor… Maybe her blood pressure dropped or…" Robert started to say as they approached, improvising medical knowledge out of worry.

"Lord Grantham, I fear it's something more serious than that…" Richard replied though, deciding to break his vow of silence without any regrets now. "We have to take her to the hospital, right now"

The doctor, along with some quick servants, started to carry Lady Violet but they did not make many steps before he was forced to stop by a too familiar voice behind him.

"Richard, you know something more about this, don't you?"

He turned around and in front of Isobel's pleading and deadly worried look, he could only gravely nod, before starting to move again. He didn't want to see the disappointment in her eyes, he didn't have to look further to know what that tragic turn really meant for everyone and for himself too.

 _The storm had arrived and it was destroying everything._

* * *

"You were supposed to tell me"

Her words came as a whisper, as she watched from outside the door Violet's now sleeping figure. Some hours had passed since the arrival at the hospital and her conditions had just slightly improved. Everyone had returned to the Abbey in order to continue the wedding since the show must have gone on anyway; the only last person in the room was Robert, but he was about to leave as well and Isobel was ready to take his place at her cousin's bedside.

It wasn't the first time that she was seeing her weak, rememering very well when a couple of years before she had spent days taking care of her after she got sick, but still it was the first time that she was seeing her _that_ weak. It was a fatal weakness this time, one she would have not recovered from – or so Richard had just explained, and the fact that it was explaining only then represented one more problem.

"Isobel…" he started, raising a hand to caress her arm in a weak attempt of comfort.

But the rest of his words remained unspoken, as she immediately finched at the contact and silence fell again between them. He wasn't going to say that he was sorry and she honestly wasn't expecting him to. According to his own morality and the segrecy imposed by his profession, he believed he had acted correctly and a part of her – the rational one – agreed with him, indeed. But there was then the emotional one that was just pushing her to be angry, desperate and disappointed.

"Lady Grantham didn't want anyone to know. I didn't agree, actually, but it was her choice to make and not my place to tell" he tried again after a while, succeeding at least to justify himself in part.

"I know, but still I had the right to know. I could have helped her, I could have stood by her side all this time…" she objected, in her painful stubborness. Then, she turned to him abruptly and her eyes widened a little in sudden indignation. "And we are about to get married! There should be no lies and secrets between us!"

"You know very well that there are no exceptions in this job" he told her, patiently.

"But we are not talking about a casual someone, we are talking about my family, my best friend and she… She's dying!" Her voice broke and she had to blink in order not to let her pain clearly show. "Could you really make no exception, not even for me?"

" _Especially_ not for you, Isobel!" he exclaimed back. His sudden vehemence was soon balanced by his caring look and the loving way he took her hands in his ones. "Don't you see? I am tired of being the one to tell you bad news… Lady Grantham wanted you not to suffer and so did I"

The plea was now in his eyes and she couldn't pretend not to see it. Her own pain was suddenly uncovered once again, a pain that had always involved Richard as the messanger: Matthew's paralisys during the war, Sybil's death… _Matthew's death_. An unexpected sob escaped her mouth at that memory and her hands fell abruptly from his tender grip. It wasn't his fault then and it wasn't his fault now, she knew that, but the pain was too much in that very moment to allow a comfort; instead, the only thing that she needed was a scapegoat and he was the only one available to play that part.

"Well, I am suffering twice now" she replied coldly, before finally entering the door and leaving him behind without a second glance.

* * *

 **Et voilà, things are taking a tragic turn - for Violet, for Richobel and for the story itself. There is just one chapter left, where I will try to give my ideal conclusion to Downton Abbey - only relating to Richobel parts of course. Hope you liked this one and hope that you will let me know what you think - whether you liked it or not. See you before Christmas;)**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Christmas Special**_

 **Part 6**

It was something naive to think, but Lady Violet Crawley was immortal according to many people. Years could pass, wars and tragedies could happen, joys and sorrows could alternate, but in the common opinion, she would have remained standing there watching everything with her usual detached irony. Yes, everyone thought that – or actually, took it for granted – and Isobel was among them. Absurd as it seemed, she had never thought that one day her best friend would have died and actually she had not even ever thought that Violet was her best friend at all; now she was realizing the two things togeteher – the intensity of her affection and the ugly truth of her human fate – and their mix was almost breaking her.

 _Almost_ , because in spite of her own suffering, she didn't hesitate to swallow her pain once again and be pragmatic. Three days and two nights she had been the perfect nurse by her side, ignoring the many invitations to go away and be replaced for a while; she wanted to be useful, she wanted to be there, she _needed_ to do instead of think.

"You should go Isobel, you need to sleep – and most of all _I_ need to sleep" Violet sighed at some point, with a weak voice but yet somehow the same lively tone.

But Mrs Crawley didn't seem to get the trace of annoyance and just shrugged slightly, looking up from the medical journal she was reading, or actually just pretending to. "Don't worry. Sleep, I'll watch over you!"

"And that is exactly the point, I can't sleep if you are constantly watching me" came the tired reply, along with an exhasperated glare. "But if you care so much, I won't sleep. After all, I will have plenty of time to sleep when I'm dead…"

"Don't speak that way!"

It was Isobel's time to glare now and usually Violet would have taken no time to object, but there was something so heartbreaking in that glare that for a moment she regretted her own words. For a moment she was the one to feel sorry and not the one to feel sorry about. Therefore, she just looked away and stayed silent for some moments, just looking for something new to say though.

"They are going to move me to Downton tomorrow"

The other woman seemed genuinely confused, as expected. "Why? It's safer here, we can take care of you better and intervene quicker and…"

"And what? There's nothing that can be done anyway…" Violet interjected, almost gently this time.

Isobel widened her eyes for a moment and then blinked, trying to fight back the years that in a moment had suddenly filled her eyes. Ironically and now seriously, the older woman had just tried to say the same thing: she was dying, and maybe only then, hearing the surrender from her mouth, the realization was becoming concrete.

"But I am at peace, I am leaving behind a very wonderful family which made me proud – and that includes you too" Violet continued then, slowly moving one of her hands to place it upon her cousin's one. "I have seen so many young people die before me, I have survived my youngest granddaughter, I have survived your Matthew… I had a very long and full life instead, it's only right for me to go"

After a first moment of surprise, Isobel held her hand and squeezed a bit harder at the mention of her own son, as tears started to freely fall from her eyes then. "Things- Things will never be the same without you, you know?" she said then, forcing a sad smile and choking back a sob.

"Things are not already the same since the war, Isobel. And at this thought I am actually happy to die: I had to face all the consequences of one great war, I don't think I'd be able to survive a second one!"

They looked at each other then, in a new meaningful silence, a silence that had the sound of sadness, abandon and goodbye. Until Violet gave one last quick squeeze to her best friend's hand and then let it go, while her unusually soft look turned suddenly into a more usual stern one.

"And now go to rest, please. Or else it would be difficult to understand which one of us is the sick one… And you don't want your doctor to get worried over you, do you?" she said then a bit teasing, but when she noticed Isobel tensing a bit at the mention of the man, her voice became more serious. "Don't tell me that you are still not talking to him! Doctor Clarkson only did his job by not telling you, you can't blame him. And besides… That man loves you and you love him, so you have to hurry up because it might be one of you two being in my place dying in a bed the next time, and then it will be too late…"

If Isobel was touched by the tragic scene Violet had just depicted, she did not let it show. Instead she shook her head slowly and pursed her lips. "It is complicated…" she just said then, stubbornly, letting the other woman sigh in annoyance.

"Everything is complicated when it comes to you! But actually, in the end love is not" the countess replied, sounding distant for a moment. She paused for a moment with her look lost and a sort of uncertain expression on her face, until she suddenly regained control of herself and just tried to reach out for an open envelope placed on the little bedside table. "About that, can you send this letter for me while you go?"

Isobel raised her eyebrows in surprise, as she picked up the paper, not helping but turning it in search of any clue. The day before, her cousin had spent at least two hours writing a letter, trying to take advantage of the moments she felt a bit better and refusing any kind of help. Now that she had the answer in her hands, she was undeniably curious to know. With all her family around, who could be the person she felt the need to write to in her last hour? Who could be the person she would have liked to have close? Who was the person she was thinking about and needed to say a last goodbye to?

It was Violet to whisper the solution of the riddle and, once she did, Isobel didn't know if actually be surprised or call herself stupid instead for not having figured it out sooner. _Prince Igor Kuragin_.

* * *

Ten minutes later, Isobel was finally out of the room, with her back against the now closed door and her eyes facing a long unusually empty hallway. She was overwhelmed – by the upcoming death of her friend, by the meaning of the letter she had in hands and by her own tiredness too. She was overwhelmed and so she cried, finally with no reservations and no limits, letting her uncontrollable sobs be the only sound to break the uncomfortable silence. She remained like that for some moments, or maybe minutes, until she looked up and noticed surprisingly the well-known figure of doctor Clarkson looking at her from the end of the hallway.

That sight made her want to cry harder, and yet it gave her hope to have a reason not to cry anymore.

Not caring about recomposing herself, she just looked back at him for a while. Staring into those piercing and loving eyes, everything became suddenly less complicated and that was enough for forgiveness. What she knew was that she didn't want to suffer alone, she didn't want to ruin things again and she didn't want to just _write_ to him at her deathbed. Therefore, she started to walk at some point, slowly at first and then quicker and quicker, until she literally fell into his arms.

And after all, love really was easy like that.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **I have managed to end this story before the actual CS and, even though I'm not entirely satisfied of the chapter, I am proud of my timing at least. I should have probably added the funeral and the wedding and at first my aim was that, but then I preferred this sort of open ending. Penelope said that the last scene she filmed was with just another actor in an empty hallway of the hospital and so this is how I decided to bring the thing into this story. As for Violet and Isobel's part, I tried to represent a sort of goodbye and I hope you don't mind the hint to Violet/Igor nor Violet's unwilling prediction of World War II. lol**

 **Anyway, now that this story is finished, I am preparing a new story already, a bit different than the usual since it is a sort of AU set in S1. I will start to publish it hopefully after the holidays, so for now I wish a merry Christmas to everyone and, most of all, a good Christmas Special! Stay Richobel - no matter what;)**


End file.
